In 2364, the Melbourne, along with two other starships and the USS Enterprise-D, were docked at Starbase 74. Due to her repair status, the Melbourne was unable to pursue the hijacked Enterprise-D. Starbase 74's commanding officer, Orfil Quinteros, attempted to rush the repair schedule to get the ship ready to pursue, but the situation remedied itself before the Melbourne was finished. (TNG: "11001001")

During a lecture in her naval history class in 2407, Tyria Sark described the loss of the Melbourne as an example of what not to do when fighting the Borg, calling it a "classic failure of a complacent peacetime Starfleet". Her student Gilad Ronson reacted angrily to this and attempted to storm out, but was ordered by Sark to return to his seat. Sark then explained that Starfleet had learned many lessons from the Melbourne's loss. (The War of the Masters: "The Silence Ends")